


Gravestone Management

by GenevieveOHara



Series: Permission to Fly [2]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 12:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18261056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenevieveOHara/pseuds/GenevieveOHara
Summary: “Kamekona named a dish after you… ‘The Big Kahuna’. It’s actually not half bad.” It had pineapple. Of course it had pineapple.Just a little sequel/one-shot of Permission to Fly.  Danny copes-sort of.





	Gravestone Management

“Steve,” Danny’s voice cracked. He looked down on the surfboard he was floating on and bit back the tears for the millionth time in the past two weeks.

“Steve was my best friend,” Danny managed. He didn’t look at anyone. He focused on the ocean bobbing beneath his board.

“He, um, he was one of the kindest, most loyal people any of us had the joy to meet,” Danny said and looked over at his ohana.

Lou looked lost on his board. Kono and Chin floated next to him, and Danny could make out the tears on their faces. Tani and Junior were next to Danny. Tani cried openly for the loss of her mentor. Junior sat numbly. He, despite his young age, was the most practiced in the art of mourning friends. Just like Steve. Other familiar faces made up the rest of the circle. Mamo, Kamekona, Flippa, Jerry, Odell, Pua, Duke, Max, Noelani, and many more people floated on boards or in boats.

“Not many people had the privilege of seeing Steve let go. He wasn’t just our boss or our commanding officer,” Danny paused.

“He was my first call when I needed a babysitter. His house was the first place I would go after a bad day of work. He was the guy who would randomly text us jokes or pictures of his dog, Eddie. Steve was the guy who took in all the strays,” Danny smiled weakly. Nahele, Tani, Junior, Jerry, even Eddie, Steve had sheltered and loved those who were alone.

“Steve,” Danny sobbed. “Steve was selfless until the very end. He didn’t…” Danny breathed harshly. “He didn’t worry about himself. He kept saying he was sorry. He knew. He… He asked me to take care of his sister Mary.”

Danny cried openly. Mary hadn’t come to the ceremony. Danny understood. Mary hadn’t taken the news of her brother’s death well. Danny swiped at his eyes and forced himself to draw himself up straighter.

“God,” Danny huffed. “Steve, babe, I love you.” He had more to say. He just couldn’t. He was tired. His heart was tearing itself in two and he couldn't put those feelings in words. He knew Steve would know. Steve always knew.

 

Steve’s wishes were to be buried next to his father. The grave was still fresh. Grass had just begun to sprout out of the dirt and the stone was still missing. Danny had visited Steve every day since his best friend had been buried. The first few times he just cried. Sometimes the rest of the Five-0 ohana showed up and dragged him home, fed him, and forced him into bed. Sometimes he just sat there and stared off into the distance, not knowing what to say or do. Sometimes he decided to talk. Sad, one-sided conversations with the dirt and grass.

“Eddie misses you,” Danny said tiredly. “He doesn’t want to leave your room. Maybe I’ll bring him here tomorrow.”

So he does. Eddie lays there with Danny for hours until the rain clouds pour, cold drops over them and Danny is forced to pull a defeated Eddie to the car.

 

“Chin and Kono went back to the mainland yesterday. Chin promised to look in on Mary,” Danny told the grave. Danny knew that John McGarrett probably appreciated that comment too. Danny felt odd having some conversations with Steve’s grave knowing Steve’s father’s grave was right next to them.

 

“The governor put me and Lou in charge of Five-0. We know we won’t do as well as you did, but we’re going to try. Hawaii misses you, babe.” Danny didn’t tell him that the governor also wanted Five-0 to hire another person. He refused to see it as a replacement. Steve’s office stood untouched, dust collecting on the model ships and the shadow box of medals. It was their shrine to Steve.

 

“Grace and Charlie are doing ok. Grace is sad. Charlie doesn’t understand what happened. He knows you’re gone, but he doesn’t really understand, you know?” Grace had cried for what felt like days. Charlie soon learnt to stop asking about Uncle Steve.

 

“Kamekona named a dish after you… ‘The Big Kahuna’. It’s actually not half bad.” It had pineapple. Of course it had pineapple.

 

“Tani jumped onto a moving truck today.” Danny glared at the headstone. Danny blamed Steve for this. The rookie had taken after Steve a little too much. “She’s fine, but I think she’s taking after a certain neanderthal.”

 

“Junior got shot today,” Danny sighed.

He looked down at his hands. The skin was still red and angry after the scalding water and scrubbing.

“They say he’ll be fine, but I just kept remembering… you know.”

Tears again. Seeing Junior propped up against that crate, blood seeping into his clothes brought Danny back to that day in Chinatown. Junior hadn’t lost consciousness. Junior hadn’t been alone. Danny had been there, just like he promised Steve’s grave early on. Danny wouldn’t let what happened to Steve happen to one of the others.

He held the younger man’s hand in the ambulance, just like Steve would have. He paced the halls of the hospital for hours, just like Steve would have. He made the calls to the governor and Junior’s family, just like Steve would have.

 

“Nahele left for basic today,” Danny sighed as he sat on the manicured grass. “We’re proud of him, but we’re scared.”

“Junior has someone looking out for him,” Danny said. “You should see him now.”

Junior had been working out with him and preparing Nahele for basic. Danny had overheard the SEAL giving Nahele tips and advice the week before.

“We’ve already decided to send him care packages whenever we can. We’re taking care of him, babe.”

 

“God, babe. How did you do it?” Danny asked the headstone.

He was tired. He hated having to talk with the governor, fill out reports, and deal with the press. Steve always hated it too, but Danny never truly understood before now.  He now knew why Steve kept beers in his office.  He now knew why Steve would hide in the bathrooms or stairways whenever reporters came by the office.

“Junior’s been deployed and Lou is in Chicago visiting Samantha,” Danny sighed. “So, naturally, all the terrorists decided to convention here.”

He and Tani were left on their own, with help from Adam and Jerry, to stop a series of bombs planted to try and kill a diplomat from Nepal. Danny was stressed.

“Don’t worry, Hawaii’s still in one piece.”

“We’re worried about Junior. We don’t know where he’s at or what he’s doing,” Danny pushed his hair back.

“Look after him, will ya?”

**Author's Note:**

> I almost cried writing this.


End file.
